Open AccessDynamics of Florida milk production and total phosphate in Lake Okeechobee
Author(s) -
Joseph Park,
Erik Saberski,
Erik Stabenau,
George Sugihara
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0248910
Subject(s) - phosphorus , nutrient , environmental science , ecosystem , phosphate , eutrophication , drainage basin , nutrient cycle , hydrology (agriculture) , zoology , ecology , biology , geography , chemistry , biochemistry , cartography , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering
A central tenant of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is nutrient reduction to levels supportive of ecosystem health. A particular focus is phosphorus. We examine links between agricultural production and phosphorus concentration in the Everglades headwaters: Kissimmee River basin and Lake Okeechobee, considered an important source of water for restoration efforts. Over a span of 47 years we find strong correspondence between milk production in Florida and total phosphate in the lake, and, over the last decade, evidence that phosphorus concentrations in the lake water column may have initiated a long-anticipated decline.